Families of Murder Victims Condemn Israeli Police Chief's Remarks on Crime in Arab Communities
Following a ynet report revealing controversial comments made by Israel Police Chief Major General Danni Levi during an emergency meeting with district commanders, families of murder victims and Arab community activists strongly criticized him on Saturday. Levi had stated that "murders are not everything," and that in the past, such crimes "did not concern anyone." Social activist and lawyer Rada Jaber from Tayibe accused the police chief and the police of echoing the minister's policy of waging war on Arab citizens rather than criminal organizations. Jaber described Levi's remarks as a declaration that the police are "not present" in combating crime, calling it a professional and moral failure that leaves citizens defenseless against criminals.
Jaber also rejected Levi's claim that police results in fighting crime over the past five years were the best, calling it a slap in the face to the Arab community. Hamama Jerban, an activist from Jisr az-Zarqa, condemned Levi's statements as weak and dismissive, accusing him of trying to silence the public while crime has significantly increased during his tenure. She urged Levi to admit his failure instead of obscuring the painful reality.
Families of victims joined the criticism, including a mother from northern Israel who lost her son to murder months ago. She called Levi "arrogant and irresponsible," accusing him of wanting victims' families to remain silent. She stressed that fighting crime and illegal weapons collection is the police's responsibility, but each time Levi speaks of enforcement operations, murders rise because criminals perceive police leadership as weak.
Hitam Abu Fana from Kafr Qara, who lost her son Faras in a shooting last September, lamented the unbearable pain shared by many families and demanded an end to the disregard for Arab lives. Faras was shot multiple times at close range at his workplace, with police attributing the killing to a conflict unrelated to him.
The emergency meeting where Levi made these remarks took place after the first half of 2026 saw 143 murders in the Arab community, a number that has since risen to 149. Levi also claimed that weapon seizures do not reduce shootings or murders and announced a special crime operation starting that day, which unfortunately began with a series of violent incidents. He emphasized to commanders that "today's crime is not the crime of the past," highlighting the complexity of combating it.
